


Abomination

by SkorpiaMynx



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: 100 Year War (Avatar TV), Bending (Avatar), Canonical Character Death, Depression, Earthbending & Earthbenders, F/M, Firebending & Firebenders, Freedom Fighters, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Orphans, Self-Harm, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Sibling Rivalry, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-05-14 05:13:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14763266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkorpiaMynx/pseuds/SkorpiaMynx
Summary: Jet's younger sister, Astoria, is a genetic anomaly. A mistake. An abomination.Stuck in her brother's shadow, unheard or seen by anyone, including Jet, she feels suffocated.The price of breaking free from the chains that hold her down leaves her broken, hopeless, and completely, utterly alone.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Jet is 18, Astoria is 14-15; Zuko, Sokka and Suki are 16-17; Katara is 15; and Aang and Toph are 12.  
> 

Sitting high up in a tree, hidden behind a thick branch full of red leaves, Astoria chuckled to herself, slicing pieces off an apple she’d swiped from the market that morning.

Far below her, completely unaware of their audience, a group of three teenagers bickered amusingly. The youngest, a boy with blue tattooes trailing his head, neck, and arms, sat on the back of a flying bison, rubbing the enormous animal’s head as he listened to the other two, a pair of water tribe siblings.

“Who made you the boss?” the girl chuckled, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’m not the boss, I’m the leader,” the eldest responded, holding his head high.

The girl snorted, “ _You’re_ the leader? But your voice still cracks!”

The boy turned bright red, “I’m the oldest,” he croaked,, “and I’m a warrior so,” he cleared his throat and straightened back up, fists on his hips, “I’m the leader”

“If anyone’s the leader, it’s Aang. I mean he _is_ the Avatar.”

Astoria sat up, throwing her apple aside carelessly at this. The three down below looked toward where the discarded fruit had fallen but shrugged it off. Astoria knelt on the tree branch, years of hiding and training allowing her to balance perfectly on the edge. Her eyes were wide, staring down at the kids anxiously.

The older boy said something else but Astoria didn’t care. She was watching the Avatar, one eyebrow raised in question at his strange, immature behavior. He certainly didn’t seem like a leader.

“Look,” the eldest, Sokka, she remembered from earlier when the Avatar had accused him of being jealous because he didn’t have an arrow on his head, was speaking again, “my instincts tell me we have a better chance of slipping through on foot and a leader has to trust his instincts.”

The sister sighed, waving her hands lazily, “Okay, we’ll try it your way, _oh wise leader_.”

 

“Walking stinks!” The Avatar exclaimed not long after they’d left their camp site. “How do people go anywhere without a flying bison?”

Astoria, jumping from branch to branch above them, struggled to listen to their conversation and keep her balance. She had to make it to her brother before these idiots stumbled upon the Fire Nation troop they were watching, interrupting the day’s agenda.

“The important thing is that we’re safe from the…” Sokka trailed off as he pushed aside some brush, revealing the Fire Nation troop in all their glory. “...Fire Nation…”

The Fire Nation soldiers stood together, setting side their supper in favor of focusing on the intruders.

“Run!” Sokka cried.

Dropping their packs, they turned to run but were cut off as one of the soldiers set the bush behind them on fire.

“We’re trapped!”

“Sokka! Your shirt!” the girl exclaimed.

Sokka screamed, waving his flaming arm around recklessly.

She pulled a stream of water from a pouch hanging at her side, dousing the flame with almost a flick of her wrist.

The soldiers were on them now, crowding around them with menacing looks drawn on their faces.

“If you let us pass, we promise not to hurt you!” Sokka negotiated.

The soldier in front of him laughed dryly, “ _Y_ _ou_ promise not to hurt _us_?”

Before anyone could say anything else, the soldier drops flat on his face, a familiar dart lodged into the back of his neck.

“Nice work, Sokka!” Aang cheers.

“Look!” the girl points to a tree on the other side of the clearing.

Astoria followed her direction. Her brother was standing on a branch, his hooked swords hanging ready at his sides. He swings from the branch, using the swords to drive his movement.

As he falls, he takes out two more soldiers, slamming all his weight onto their backs, not wasting any time before hooking the ankles of another pair in the curves of his swords.

“Down you go.”

Astoria watches, almost bored as her brother and his most loyal Freedom Fighters take out every single soldier, all of whom were completely caught off guard at the thought of being defeated by a bunch of kids.

The newcomers join the fight, trying their best to keep up. Sokka struggles to get close enough to a single soldier before Jet or one of the others takes his target out for him.

Once all the soldiers are incapacitated, Jet rushes toward the girl, his too familiar flirtatious smirk painted on his lips. “Hey.”

“Hi,” she answers, sounding awe(love)struck, Astoria resists the urge to gag.

The Avatar praises the Fighters for their work, while Sokka hangs back, arms crossed over his chest defiantly.

“My name’s Jet and these are my Freedom Fighters.” He nods at each Fighter as he lists off their names.

“I’m Katara and this is Aang and the grouchy one is my brother Sokka. Don’t mind him.”

Everyone soon falls into their routine duties, scouring the soldier’s things for anything useful.

Jet leans against the trunk of a tree, overseeing the rests’ work. He looks up, locking eyes with his ever present and silent sister in the trees above. He smiles at her but shakes his head, telling her to stay where she is.

Katara approaches Jet, hands clasped behind her back. “Thanks for saving us Jet.”

“I should be thanking you. We were waiting to ambush those guys all day. You guys were a good distraction.”

The Duke and Pipsqueak call out their findings. Jet nods and tells them to put them in the wagon and take them to the hideout.

Aang and Katara’s eyes sparkle at his words. “You guys have a hideout?” Aang questions.

“You wanna see it?” Jet invites.

“Yes, we wanna see it!” Katara answers eagerly.

 

Astoria followed above the pack, effortlessly jumping and swinging from tree to tree, always keeping an ear out for the conversation.

“So, you all live here?” Katara asked, looking around in amazement.

“That’s right.” Jet told her Longshot and The Duke’s stories.

Her face falls in sympathy as she looks at them each in turn. “What about you?”

Jet and Astoria freeze together. Jet looks down, avoiding the prying, concerned gaze of the waterbender and his sister’s that burned holes into his back. “The Fire Nation killed my parents. I was only eight years old.”

 _I was four_ , Astoria thought.

“That day changed me forever.”

Jet looked up, finding his sister hidden in the trees. To anyone else, his face would’ve been unreadable. But Astoria knew the sorrow filled, ashamed look in Jet’s eyes.

“Sokka and I lost our mother to the Fire Nation.”

Astoria couldn’t find it in her to sympathize much.

“I’m so sorry, Katara.”

 

Astoria made her way silently through the bustling Fighters toward her brother’s tent, always keeping an eye out for the newcomers.

Something about them, especially the way Sokka looks at Jet, the way it’s much more than jealousy alone and complete mistrust, irks her and she knows they have to leave soon or things are going to get bad for everyone involved.

She doesn’t know how long she sits there for, twiddling with her dagger before the flap of the tent opens.

But it isn’t Jet that walks in.

Smellerbee looks relieved to see Astoria there, visibly relaxing. She lets the flap close behind her, dropping down beside the other warrior on the floor in front of the hammock bed.

“Did you see them?” Astoria nods. “I don’t trust them.”

“Me either. The big one’s asking for trouble.”

Smellerbee nodded in agreement, looking down at her hands. “You gonna talk to him?”

Astoria shrugs, “I doubt he’ll listen. With the waterbender girl and the Avatar, he can fill the reservoir and go through with the plan. After that, I don’t know.”

Smellerbee’s eyes widened.

“Oh, have they not mentioned that yet?” Jaw hanging open, Smellerbee shook her head. “Well, I’m sure it’ll come up eventually.”

The flap opened again, this time revealing Jet standing with one hand on his hip. “Having a party?”

As to not upset him, Smellerbee exited quickly, glancing back at Astoria just before the flap closed.

Jet watched her leave and once she was gone, he turned back to his sister with a raised eyebrow. “Yes, Stori?”

Astoria sighed at the nickname. “Be careful around the newbies.”

Jet rolled his eyes, “You haven’t even met them. Don’t judge so quickly.”

Astoria smirked, “Are you saying I _can_ meet them?”

Jet, regretting his words, sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, “Stori, if people found out about you…” He paused, shaking his head. “We’ll see.”

Pursing her lips, Astoria nodded, disbelievingly. “Sure. But still, be careful. I don’t trust them.”

“You don’t trust anyone.”

“And you don’t either. The little one’s the Avatar and wherever he goes, the Fire Nation is bound to be close behind.”

Jet’s eyes lit up, the complete opposite reaction of what Astoria expected. She sighed, putting her head in her hands. “This won’t end well, Jet.”

Jet nodded dismissively. “I’ll bring you dinner later.”

 

Despite her brother’s - and leader’s - clear order to stay put, Astoria found herself sitting on a vacant tree, overlooking the celebration feast below. Even if he hadn't seen her yet, she knew Jet knew she was there and had expected nothing less.

“Today, we struck another blow blow against the Fire Nation swine.” Cheers erupted from the Freedom Fighters at Jet’s words, “I got a special joy from the look on one soldier’s face when The Duke dropped down on his helmet and rode him like a wild hog monkey.”

Astoria couldn’t help but smile when The Duke did a victory lap around the table.

“Now, the Fire Nation thinks they don’t have to worry about a couple of kids hiding in the trees. Maybe they’re right.”

The crowd boos loudly, their combined voices echoing in the night.

“Or maybe they’re _dead wrong_.”

As they cheer again, Jet takes a seat next to Katara and Sokka, dividing the siblings.

Astoria makes her way through the trees fast, getting as close to her brother and his new friends as possible without being seen. She drops down to crouch behind the thick trunk of the tree they’d build to hold the dining area, hiding in the shadows like she’s used to.

“Avatar, huh? _Very_ nice.” Astoria could hear her brother’s devilish smirk in his words. “I think I know a way you and Aang can help in our struggle.”

“Unfortunately, we have to leave tonight,” Sokka says. Footsteps vibrate the surface of the dining ‘floor’. Astoria scrambles to her feet, prepared to scurry up the tree trunk.

“ _Sokka_ ,” Jet calls after the wanna-be water tribe warrior. “You’re kidding me! I needed you on an important mission tomorrow.”

“What mission?” Sokka asks, intrigued and suspicious.

 

Astoria makes it to the door of Jet’s tent before he appears behind her, clearing his throat. “You almost got caught! Now I’m stuck taking Sokka with us tomorrow.”

She turns with her arms crossed over her chest, “Well, maybe if you would stop hiding me like a dirty secret, you wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

Jet tries to ignore the bite in her words, but the sting of her words is evident on his face. He pushed her into the tent, holding the flap shut behind them and dropping his voice to a whisper. “Why can’t you just listen to me for once, Stori? I’m trying to look out for you.”

She forces a dry laugh out, “We both know I am more than capable of taking care of myself.”

“And we both know that if anyone found out about… You’d probably be killed or at the very least imprisoned.”

“Or, what you’re really afraid of, is them seeing me as a weapon and stealing me away from you.” _Maybe_ _I’d be better off on their side._


	2. Two

Astoria rarely got any real action during any of the missions, she was only present in case things went south and they needed back up.

She was silent as ever, kneeling on a branch a few trees behind and left of the one holding her brother and Sokka.

Sokka stabbed his knife into the trunk of the tree, cupping his hands around the hilt and putting his ear against them.

“It amplifies vibrations,” he said in response to Jet’s question. “Someone’s coming.”

Astoria and the others readied themselves.

From the outer edge of the forest, an old Fire Nation man appeared, hobbling and relying on a cane to walk.

Sokka tries to stop Jet but it’s no use. Jet leaps down from his perch, landing perfectly in front of the old man.

“What’re you doing in our woods, you leech?” Jet spits at the man, his swords steady at his sides.

“Please, sir, I’m just a traveler,” the man pleads, taking a cautious step back.

Jet swings out with one of his swords, knocking the man’s cane out of his grasp. Stumbling, the man tries to run away but collides with Pipsqueak’s chest, knocking himself to the ground.

Astoria shakes her head, pitying the poor old man. Pipsqueak, Smellerbee, and Jet surround the old man. Pipsqueak pins him on his belly on the ground with one foot pressing heavily on his back.

Jet spits insults at the man, crouching so they come eye-to-eye.

“Please, let me go,” the man bellows. “Have mercy.”

“Does the Fire Nation let people go? Does the Fire Nation have mercy?”

Jet brings one leg up, prepared to strike a blinding kick to the old man’s head, when Sokka’s club hooks his foot, stopping him.

Astoria all but gasps at the teen’s boldness.

“Jet, he’s just an old man!” Sokka pleads.

Jet whips around, glaring down at the smaller warrior. “He’s Fire Nation! Search him!” The others obey his order without a second thought.

Sokka argues pointlessly with Jet but Jet stands firm.

“Have you forgotten what the Fire Nation did to your mother? Remember why you fight!”

Smellerbee interrupts before Sokka can think of a response, “We got his stuff, Jet.”

They leave the man lying helplessly on the ground, holding his aching head. Sokka, sparing a short glance at the man, follows after them reluctantly.

Astoria climbs down a few branches, her heart beating strangely at the sight of the old man fighting to get up.

He looks up quickly, his eyes landing on her. She freezes, panic and years of fighting instincts rushing through her veins. He looks at her, his eyes silently pleading for help.

Glancing toward where the other’s had vanished, she swings down, landing gracefully.

She finds his cane, miraculously still in one piece, quickly and hurries over to him.

She takes his hand, noting the unnatural warmth that radiates through his skin to hers, pulling him up. She hands him his cane, only letting go when she’s sure he’s steady.

“Thank you,” he trails off, tilting his head curiously to the side. His focus is on her eyes, eyes he had never seen before, that intrigue him. “You have very pretty eyes,” he almost whispers.

She smiles, “Thank you.”

She disappears back into the covering of the trees quickly, before he even realized she had begun to move.

 

Jet was sitting on his bed, twirling a knife between his fingers, when Astoria walks in. “Took you long enough,” he snaps.

“I was helping the old man.” He looks up, his brown eyes narrowing warningly. “I told you to be careful.”

“You don’t listen to me so why should I listen to you?”

“Because, unlike you, I’m out there every single day, watching the forest and listening to almost everyone’s conversation. I know what’s going on outside of this little hideout but you isolate yourself from the rest of the world. I know why the Avatar and his friends are here and I know that there’s no way this can end well for anyone.”

Jet crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the wall of the tent, supported agai. His scowl would’ve sent any other Freedom Fighter scurrying from his tent, muttering apologies on their way out. But Astoria stood her ground, matching his cold glare with a fierce one of her own.

“Your little show today in front of Sokka is going to lose you control of the Avatar and the waterbender. I hope you know that.”

Footsteps approached outside, accompanied by the newly familiar, frustrated voices of the Avatar Gang.

Astoria vanished, sliding out under the miniscule gap between the edge of the tent and the wood below.

She crouch behind the tent as the Avatar Gang entered. Pressing herself against the tent wall, she listened carefully.

“ _ Sokka _ ,’” Astoria cringed at the use of his ‘disappointed leader (brother)’ tone, “you told them what happened but you didn’t mention that the guy was Fire Nation?”

“No, he conveniently left that part out,” Katara answered for him.

“Fine! But even if he was Fire Nation, he was a harmless civilian!”

“He was an assassin, Sokka.” A dull thud broke the sudden silence. “See? There’s a compartment for poison in the knife.”

Astoria’s jaw dropped open.

“He was sent to eliminate me; you helped save my life, Sokka.”

Katara’s smile rang through her words. “I knew there was an explanation.”

“I didn’t see any knife!” Sokka argued.

“That’s because he was concealing it.”

Astoria knew all of Jet’s tricks and all of his weapons. Two years prior, Jet had stumbled upon an assassin carrying a knife just like the one he was describing but the man hadn't been much older than Jet himself.

“There was no knife!” Sokka sighed heavily, “I’m going back to the hut and packing my things.”

Jet began speaking again but Astoria didn’t stick around to listen. Using her own set of knives, she climbed the tree, and swung away in search of Smellerbee.

 

The young Earth Kingdom girl was sharpening her knives, watching as some of the younger, less trusted Freedom Fighters packed various supplies into packs and crates. Astoria cursed, rushing over to sit beside the second-in-command warrior.

“You have to talk Jet out of this,” she spoke as an informal greeting. Smellerbee, startled by the arrival of the other girl, dropped one of her knives. “If you guys go through with this, it  _ will  _ end badly. They might seem nice but they cannot be trusted.”

She kept quiet about questioning whether or not her brother could be trusted anymore either.

“It’s too late, Astoria. Jet already gave us orders to get everything ready for tonight. We’re going through with the plan tomorrow.”

Astoria shook her head, “That nosy Water Tribe boy is gonna get in the way and screw everything up! You have to call it off!”

“We both know that’s not my place to say.” Smellerbee turned back to her knives.

Astoria set her jaw, inhaling deeply to prepare herself for what she was about to say. “This makes all of you just as bad as the Fire Nation.”

Smellerbee turned on her quickly, knocking Astoria on her back with one knife pointed at her throat, her legs stradling Astoria’s hips. Astoria, although taken aback by the girl’s quick reaction, did not look the least bit afraid. Smellerbee would never hurt her because no matter what she told Jet, even if it was the truth, he wouldn’t believe it.

“What? Are you a traitor now? You know better than anyone how Jet feels about traitors,” Smellerbee growled.

Calmly, Astoria pushed aside the hand holding the knife and more or less shoved Smellerbee off her.

“Yeah, I know.”

She stormed off, kicking up an excessive amount to dust as she went.

She didn’t bother climbing back up into the trees again. She didn’t - never had - care about who saw her.

Along the way, the faces of the younger or newer recruits would twist into a look of alarm and confusion but she kept walking, ignoring them all.

 

Astoria watch from the opposite bank of the reservoir as Jet gave instructions to the Freedom Fighters entrusted in carrying out the plan.

The bushes behind them rustled,

Smellerbee and Pipsqueak emerged from them, dragging Sokka on his knees between them. They threw him down in front o Jet, Smellerbee holding a jagged edged dagger at his throat.

From her position across the reservoir, she couldn’t make out what was said. Sokka glared at Jet, pointing an accusatory finger at him. Jet remained calm, standing tall and firm.

Pipsqueak and Smellerbee seized Sokka, Jet hooking his swords around Sokka’s free wrist. Jet waves them off, and Sokka is dragged back into the woods.

 

Smellerbee shoves Sokka along, annoyed with his slow pace, “C’mon, move along!”

“How can you stand by and do nothing while Jet wipes out a whole village?”

“Hey, listen, Sokka. Jet’s a great leader,” Pipsqueak argues. “We follow what he say and things always turn out okay.”

Sokka looked to the side, Astoria followed his gaze, raising an eyebrow at the too-perfect leaf piles on the forest floor.

“If that’s how Jet leads, then he’s got a lot to learn.”

Sokka ran off toward the leaf piles,

Failing to catch him, Smellerbee and Pipsqueak chase after him. Sokka leaps over the leaf piles. Pipsqueak and Smellerbee don’t catch on and step right in the center, deploying snares and flying up to hang from the trees.

“While you two are up there, you might want to practice your knot work.” Sokka turns and walks away.

Looking back at her comrades, Astoria smirks and hurries after Sokka.

Smellerbee makes to call after her, but stops herself when she realizes that it would give away the secret girl’s presence.

Once Sokka fully steps out of view of the warriors, Astoria drops down in front of him. Startled, he stumbles back, throwing his hands up as defense.

“Calm down,” Astoria almost laughs, holding her hands up to show she meant no harm.. “I just wanna talk.”

Sokka raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but relaxed. “Are you one of them? A Freedom Fighter?”

“Yes,” Sokka tensed again, his hand itching to grab on his weapons. “But I am not so blindly loyal to Jet. I know his flaws and all of his messed up tactics. I support Jet in his ultimate goal but I don’t agree with how he’s going about getting what he wants.”

“So, why’re you telling me this?”

“We only have a few hours before they blow the dam and that whole village gets wiped out. Do you wanna help me get the civilians out in time or not?”

Sokka’s eyes widened in surprise. “But, if you’re one of Jet’s…”

“I’ve been a Freedom Fighter longer than anyone, I guess you could say I was the first. I’ve seen Jet at his lowest points. I’ve seen the worst things he’s done, things he doesn’t want anyone to know about but this … I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Sokka nodded, “Let’s go.”

Astoria grabbed his wrist, pulling him off a hidden side trail through the woods leading toward the village.

Following without objection, Sokka found his eyes trailing to where she held his wrist, eyebrows knitting together at the odd warmth she emitted.

He didn’t have time to question it before they came to the edge of a small slanted cliff. Below were two small, poorly built houses.

Astoria pulled him to sit on the grass, letting go of his hand, “Be careful,” was all she said.

She pushed herself down, sliding carefully, slowly down the slant. Sokka followed suit, but went too quickly and when he went over a particularly smooth bit, he lost control and rolled to the bottom, landing face first in someone’s backyard.

Astoria laughed, standing and dusting herself off. She held a hand out to help him up, the most kindness anyone had shown him since their arrival.

“Before we do this, there’s something I need to ask you.” Sokka nodded frantically, looking around for Fire Nation soldiers. “No one is supposed to know about me, Jet doesn’t want anyone seeing me.” Sokka looked back, confused by her words but the true meaning was clear in her eyes. “After we free the civilians, I have to leave and you have to face Jet alone. I’m sorry, I really wish I could help you but my presence would only anger him more. Please, don’t tell him I helped you.” Her eyes, both strange and brilliant at the same time, pleaded with him louder than she could muster into words.

He gave a single nod, “I won’t.”

Astoria, relieved and trusting his response, pulled him away, her fingers intertwined with his.

They weaved through the small passages between houses and small shops to the center of village. More than a few people, most of them children, looked at Astoria with joy and recognition. She waved them to follow after her, which they all did without hesitation.

“You guys have to leave!” Astoria wasted no time once she reached the center of the village. “You’re all in grave danger!”

Everyone’s eyes widened, save for the Fire Nation soldiers in the back of the crowd.

“The dam is about to be blown up!” Sokka jumped in. “The village will flood and if you don’t leave, you’ll all be killed!”

Murmurs of shock and disbelief rang through the crowd. Astoria looked toward the dam not far off, chewing on her bottom lip anxiously.

“Please, you have to believe us!” She locked eyes with a young girl, who stared at her with wide, trusting and fear filled eyes. “Some of you know me and I would never lie to you! We’re trying to help you!”

Someone pushed through the crowd, muttering apologies as he hobbled past other onlookers. “I believe them!” It was the old man Jet had attacked. “There is a crazed boy in those woods who attacked me yesterday! This young man tried to stop him and this girl helped me once they were gone. We can trust them.” He looked back toward his fellow Fire Nation men. “We can  _ all  _ trust them. We must leave now!”

The crowd all looked toward one another, nodding in agreement. Then they turned back to the teens standing before them, nodding simultaneously again.

“Take only what you can carry, there isn’t much time!” Astoria barked.

Everyone dispersed, rushing toward their homes and shops to gather their belongings. Pleased with the response, Astoria ran to the edge of the village, leaving Sokka to rush to catch up. She hurdled up a tall incline, while Sokka nearly tripped up it, digging his club and boomerang into the Earth to pull himself up. Astoria pulled him up the rest of the way, earning a nod in gratitude. They pulled back a large, heavy looking tree branch, throwing it aside. “Jet doesn’t know this path, he won’t come looking here. They’ll be safe and it leads to the next village, it’s only a few miles away. Plus, the water won’t make it over the edge.”

Sokka nodded and smiled. She nodded toward the village again and together, hand in hand this time to keep themselves (Sokka) steady, they raced back toward the center. Sokka began seeing the warmth radiated through her touch as a reassurance, and held on tight.

“Follow us! We’ll take you to a path that leads to the closest village!” Astoria yelled over the bustling of the crowd.

They shared a silent look, before Astoria waved her hand high over her head, calling silently for everyone to follow her.

Sokka stayed behind, making sure everyone was out.

A bird call rang through the air, the same one Sokka had heard Jet and the others using to communicate before they attacked the old man.

Astoria and Sokka locked eyes but neither could get a word out before another call - Jet’s - answered back.

“Run!”

Everyone, mothers, fathers, children, even the old, ran as fast as they could toward Astoria, who practically dragged them up the incline single handedly and shoved them into the covering of the trees.

Sokka lifted the last little girl high above his head, handing her to Astoria. The girl ran over to join her mother, hugging the woman’s legs tightly.

“Get as far away as possible! We’ll come back, I promise!” Astoria ordered.

She grabbed Sokka’s hand, yanking him up to join her only a second before the dam exploded, sending millions upon millions of gallons of water rushing toward them at top speed.

Not letting go of his hand, Astoria shoved at his back, “Go!” They sprinted along the new waterbank, as the water splashed up against the edge of the incline. Astoria pulled him into the trees and down a path perpendicular to the one the civilians had been sent down. “You have to get to the cliff! Your sister and the Avatar are there! If Jet-”

Sokka stops her, stops dead in his tracks, pulling her to a halt next to him. “Come with us, you’ll be safe!”

She shakes her head, “I can’t and there’s no time to argue. Just go!”

He squeezes her hand, pulling her in for a fleeting hug. “Thank you,” he whispers during the hug.

Astoria is too stunned to say or do anything as he pulls away and sprints back to the hideout.

 

“This was a victory, Katara,” Jet talks to the waterbender like she’s a child. “Remember that. The Fire Nation is gone and this valley will be safe.”

Appa rises to the height of the cliff, Sokka sitting at the reigns. Sokka can’t help but smirk at the sight of Jet frozen to the base of a tree, defeated. “It will be safe, without you.”

Jet’s jaw nearly drops at the sight of the warrior. “Sokka!” he gasps.

“I warned the villagers of your plan, just in time.”

“What?!”

Sokka looks back toward the now flooded village, smiling in relief and thinking of the mystery rogue Freedom Fighter girl. “At first they didn’t believe me. But one man vouched for me, the old man  _ you _ attacked. He urged them to trust me and we got everyone out in time.”

“Sokka, you fool!” Jet spat uselessly, glaring. “We could’ve freed this valley!”

“Who would be free? Everyone would be dead.”

“You traitor!”

Sokka shook his head sadly, “No, Jet. You became the traitor when you stopped protecting innocent people.”

Jet turned to Katara, pleading with her, “Katara, please, help me.”

Katara turned away from him, her head help up proudly. “Goodbye Jet.”

 

Astoria saw the villagers - and Fire Nation troops - into the next village, where they were met with little adversary once they told their story.

She took the path she had sent Sokka down, walking slow and calmly back to the hideout.

A few hours earlier, she had watched the Avatar’s bison fly over head and had waved goodbye to it, thankful that they had gotten away safely.

The forest was alarmingly quiet, the ground wet from the overflow of the river water but she didn’t mind.

Sokka’s promise of keeping her involvement a secret had seemed sincere enough but if there was one thing she had learned from her brother, it was not to trust anyone too much.

Halfway back to the hideout, she remembered Pipsqueak and Smellerbee were probably still trapped in the snares. Smirking and shaking her head, she turned to go find them.

They were indeed still stuck, swinging uselessly from the branches, hoping to crack the snare against a tree to get free.

Pipsqueak squirmed uncomfortably, chewing on his bottom lip and squeezing his legs together.

“Hey, you two” Astoria greeted them calmly, smiling up at them, her hands on her hips.

“Astoria! Please! Get us down!” Pipsqueak begged, gripping the bars with white knuckles.

Astoria took all the time she could in climbing the tree - Pipsqueaks first. When she reached the branch the snare was hooked on, she pulled out a knife and grabbed the rope. “Ready?” She didn’t wait for an answer, cutting the rope in one swift movement.

Pipsqueak plummeted to the ground, groaning loudly as he crashed and the cage broke apart. He raced off into the covering of a tree.

Astoria paused over Smellerbee’s trap, sitting with her legs dangling over the branch. Smellerbee stubbornly stared up at her, scowling. “I can wait,” Astoria teased, making to put away the knife.

Smellerbee huffed, “I’m sorry. We should’ve listened to you.”

Pleased, Astoria cut the rope.

She met the Fighters on the ground, landing with expert ease and grace. “Let’s go home. And hope we never see them again.”

They started walking, only getting a few steps away from the traps before another bird call rang through the air. The human tone of it made all their heads shoot up but only Astoria knew it. Without a word to the others, she raced off in the direction it had come from.


	3. Three

The ice was taking its sweet time melting, the cool autumn evening air not helping, and Jet was shivering violently by the time Astoria found him. He was pale and breathing shallowly.

Astoria gasped, one hand flying to her mouth in shock. “H-How long have you been like this?” she questioned.

She grabbed her knife, pounding the butt of the handle against the ice at Jet’s shoulders. He watched her work, his eyes narrowed and mouth shut tightly. He knew she could get him out much faster but no way was he going to ask for it.

The knife nearly hit Jets cheek, he pulled away hastily. “Sorry! Sorry!” Astoria said. She shook her head, dropping the knife to the ground. “Jet, this is gonna take forever. Do you want me to…?” She hoped he’d finish her thought.

He looked away from her, clenching his jaw to stop his teeth from chattering.

“I’ll be careful, I promise. Please, Jet, you’re gonna get sick if you stay like this much longer.”

But he’d been there since the Avatar Gaang had left and by now the damage was already done.

When Jet didn’t say anything, she took it as a yes.

“Tell me if I hurt you.”

She placed her hands over the ice encasing his left arm, closing her eyes as she pushed heat into her hands, melting the ice quickly. Jet winced, and she pulled back, letting the ice finish on its own.

Night had fallen over an hour ago and with it, the temperature had dropped a good 10 degrees.

Once his arm was free, Jet flexed his fingers, wincing at the stinging pain in them.

Astoria melted his other arm free, directing more of the heat toward his chest, knowing it would be far too dangerous to put her hands there.

By the time his chest is free, most of the feeling had returned to his left hand. “M-My s-swords,” he rasped, stuttering from the cold. Astoria reluctantly handed them over and watched as he hacked his legs free.

Jet fell forward, collapsing into his sister’s arms. He was cold to the touch, sending shivers through Astoria as she cradled him.

He let her hold him, relishing in her warmth. He rested his head against her shoulder, breathing heavily. She rubbed his arm, “You’re okay. Its okay,” she whispered.

“Th-Tha-ank y-you-u,” he exhaled, wrapping his good arm around her back and pulling her closer.

 

It was pitch black by the time they had made it halfway into the covering of the trees.

Thunder rippled across the sky overhead. Astoria cursed, they were still over a mile away from the hideout and there was no chance of making it back on foot before the storm broke fully.

Jet coughed harshly, folding in on himself and falling from Astoria’s grasp. He crumpled to the ground at her feet, his whole body racked with the force of his coughing. Astoria knelt beside him, one hand rubbing between his shoulder blades.

“Hold on, okay?”

She didn’t wait for his response, though he wouldn’t have been able to give one anyway as he was still trying to hack up a lung.

Astoria drew up a chunk of Earth on either side of them, forming them into a triangle shape for covering.

Jet’s coughing ceased and he more or less fell onto his side, breathing labored and head spinning.

Astoria raced out, grabbing as many branches as she could carry. She dropped them into a messy pile outside the shelter, kneeling by them. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she blew a small flame into them, letting it grow naturally.

Crawling back into the shelter, she bended another chunk of Earth over the fire to shield it from the rain. 

Jet watched her through clouded, disapproving eyes. He’d rather die than accept the help of a firebender, even his sister.

She sat up against the back of the ‘tent’, looking at her shaking hands in shame.

Jet’s stone cold heart broke to see his sister look so hurt. Even from where he lay, he could feel the edges of her warmth radiating toward him; she was still trying to help him, and was probably hurting herself in the process.

Using all the strength he could muster, Jet dragged himself toward her, the mere two feet feeling like a mile. Exhausted, he collapsed against her, his head laying in her lap.

A small smile teased at the edges of her lips. She put one hand on his shoulder, the other running its fingers in his thick hair. He relaxed, exhaling heavily and closing his eyes.

As Jet’s breathing evened out and he stilled other than the occasional shiver, Astoria kissed his temple, frowning, “I’m sorry.”

 

When the sun peeked through the open end of the shelter the next morning, Astoria lifted her head, groaning at the stiff neck. Jet was curled up into a fetal position, shaking violently again.

The fire had gone out some time in the night.

Lifting Jet’s hair, Astoria pressed the back of her hand against his forehead. Her eyes widened at the heat she found.

“Jet,” she shook his arm lightly. “Jet, please wake up.”

_ No one came looking for us _ , she realized. It wasn’t surprising that no one had thought of her, as so few people knew about her, but Jet was their  _ leader _ and he wasn’t known to disappear alone for long periods of time, let alone all night.

Jet didn’t budge other than another harsh shiver. “Jet, please!” she begged, cupping his cheeks.

Slowly, his eyes opened, bleary and unfocused. “St-Stori?”

She smiled and nodded frantically, blinking away tears. “Yeah, I’m here.” Even through his shirt she could feel heat radiated off him. “You gotta get up, we gotta get back to the hideout. E-Everyone’s probably freaking out.”

Normally, Jet would jump up and drag her back. But he barely rolled over now. “Jet?”

“I feel sick,” he mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut in pain. He was paler than Astoria could ever remember him being.

“Jet, hey, open your eyes. C’mon big brother, please.” They opened in small slits, staring pained at the roof. She took his hand, squeezing. “I’m gonna go get Pipsqueak and Smellerbee, okay? I-I won’t take long, I promise.” She kissed his forehead and ran out.

The trees were faster and for Astoria, after almost a decade of hiding in the trees, easier.

She climbed up using her knives as leverage.

On foot, it would’ve taken at least a half hour to get home, but through the trees, she made it in less than half that time.

Smellerbee was easiest to find. She was making her way toward Jet’s room, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. She must’ve given orders to the others because no one else seemed too alarmed at the absence of their leader.

“Bee!” Astoria called, grabbing the girls’ wrist. “You gotta come with me! Jet’s really sick,” she added the last part quietly, “That Water Tribe girl froze him to a tree and he was there for hours. We got stuck out in the storm last night but he’s way worse this morning. Where’s Pipsqueak? And Longshot?”

“Okay, okay. Astoria, take a deep breath, Jet’ll be fine, he’s tough.” Astoria did as told, nodding slowly. “Let’s go get ‘em.”

 

Jet was on his side again, shivering and huddled against the wall of the shelter. There was a small puddle of vomit a little ways away, consisting of mostly stomach acid.

Astoria and Smellerbee knelt in front of their ill leader, coaxing him awake slowly while the boys stood guard outside, waiting for orders. Jet let the girls pull him into a sitting position, leaning his aching head back against the wall.

“Pipsqueak,” Astoria peeked her head around to look at the large warrior.

He made his way inside, crouching in front of Jet. He slung one of Jet’s arms over his shoulder, lifting the boy into his arms bridal-style.

“Be careful!” Astoria snapped when Jet’s head fell back limply,

Pipsqueak repositioned the smaller boy, cradling his head in the crook of his elbow as Astoria took down the shelter.

Longshot led the way, one bow notched the whole way back, Smellerbee only a step behind, her knives ready at her sides. 

Astoria walked beside Pipsqueak, eyeing her brother worriedly every time he made the slightest movement.

 

“He’s burning up,” Pipsqueak voiced when they arrived back at the base of the hideout.

Astoria paused, pressing her palm against her brother’s clammy forehead. His temperature nearly matched her own.

“We gotta get him inside quick,” she whispered.

Smellerbee opened her mouth to voice her confusion over how they were supposed to achieve this, but was stopped when the ground beneath their feet rumbled and flew into the air. Astoria propelled the Earth upward, weaving expertly through tree branches and platforms of the hideout.

Smellerbee nearly grabbed Astoria’s arm to warn her of exposing herself, but, remembering the amount of focus Astoria needed to control the ground long enough for them to reach Jet’s room, she decided against it.

A scattered few Freedom Fighters watched the ground rise up, not surprised by the movement itself, there had been previous Earthbenders here, but by who was on top.

Astoria stopped at the landing of Jet’s room, nodding for everyone else to get off before following and letting the raised bit of Earth fall back down carefully.

Pipsqueak put Jet down gently, walking away with his head bowed in respect for his ill leader.

“Thank you, Pipsqueak. You may go,” Astoria smiled at him.

Pipsqueak left silently, followed by Longshot.

“Help me,” Astoria said, already lifting the unconscious warrior into a half-slumped sitting position.

Astoria supported Jet’s back with one arm, the other helping Smellerbee lift his soaked shirt over his head.

Jet groaned, leaning his head back into Astoria’s waiting hand. “Shh, we’re gonna make you better,” she whispered reassuringly, brushing his matted hair back.

“Bee, go get a pail in case he gets sick again.” Astoria helped Jet lay down again and Smellerbee ran off to do as told. Jet shivered and curled up into a tight ball, wrapping his arms around his knees. Gently, Astoria forced him to stretch out, muttering that his prefered position would hurt his stomach more.

Smellerbee returned,, carrying two water pails. She placed the empty one on the floor beside Jet’s bed, and pulled a rag from the other, ringing it out before placing it on Jet’s forehead.

Astoria had backed up to the far corner of the room, looking away from the pair at the bed. Her hands were shaking, so she wrapped her arms around herself, feeling for a rare but not unheard of moment, the heat her body radiated. 

“Astoria, I don’t know what to do,” Smellerbee muttered, thinking the girl was still by her. “His fever is way too high.”

“It’s my fault,”

Smellerbee’s head snapped in Astoria’s direction, her eyes sorrowful and confused, “What? No, it’s not. That  _ Water Tribe _ girl did this to him.”

Astoria slid down the tree trunk that made up one curved wall of the room, shaking her head and staring at the ground. “I-I thought he was cold, h-he was shivering so bad. I was trying to help but … but I made it worse. I did this.”

Suddenly it clicked in Smellerbee’s mind. Leaving the damp cloth on Jet’s head, she crouched in front of Astoria, taking the girl’s shaking hands in hers, ignoring the unnatural heat. “You did help him. If it wasn’t for you, he might still be stuck to that tree. The damage would have been much worse if you hadn't found him and thawed him off. He was probably already sick when you found him.”

“I made it worse.”

Smellerbee fought hard to resist the urge to slap Astoria; like her big brother, Astoria was stubborn and had selective hearing. Once something got in her head, it would take a boulder to knock it out.

Instead, she gripped Astoria’s shoulders tightly, forcing the older girl to look at her. “So, make it  _ better _ . Help me take care of him. You can  _ keep _ him warm, maybe help him burn out the virus. Plus, despite what you think, Jet loves you more than anything and he would want you here. If he woke up and you were gone, he’d panic and we both know it.”

 

So, Astoria stayed. She and Smellerbee took shifts watching Jet, sleeping whenever it was the other’s turn.

Jet’s fever continued to climb so Astoria kept her distance, sitting on the opposite side of the room, still in Jet’s line of sight should he wake up.

But he still hadn't. Nearly a whole day had gone by and the most movement they’d seen was whenever he’d twist and turn in discomfort.

Astoria was half asleep, sitting up on the opposite wall, Smellerbee was kneeling by Jet’s bedside, her head resting on a folded arm on the bed.

Jet turned over suddenly, flopping onto his back with a loud whine. Smellerbee’s head shot up, her hand instantly grabbing Jet’s arm. He jerked away, twisting onto his side, a small, heartbroken sob breaking through his slightly parted lips.

Astoria jumped up, falling beside Smellerbee in less than a second.

Gently, she grabbed Jet’s white-knuckled fist, uncurling his fingers to intertwine them with her own.

“Go get more water,” she calmly told Smellerbee. Glancing between the siblings, the younger girl obeyed, taking the half empty pail with her.

Astoria ran her fingers through Jet’s hair, gently untangling the knots that had taken over. “Shh,” she whispered when he whimpered. “You’re okay, Jet. It’s gonna be okay.”

When Smellerbee returned, Astoria’s head was resting on Jet’s arm, her thumb stroking the back of Jet’s hand and the other hand’s finger carding themselves through his knotted hair. Astoria was singing.

Smellerbee couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Both were warriors, ready and willing to fight and die at any given moment but in moments like these, she was reminded that first and foremost, they were loyal to each other, like siblings should be.

Jet was almost as tall as Pipsqueak, making him the second tallest of all the Freedom Fighters, and he was one of the oldest. He lead with the voice and influence of a war general, and many of the Freedom Fighters, especially the younger ones and including herself, often thought of him as such.

But Jet was only 18, he was still a kid. And Astoria, for all her brooding and survival sense, she was only 14, barely a year older than Smellerbee.

Just kids. Orphans of war.


	4. Four

Jet moaned and shifted, pulling his hand from Astoria’s. The younger sibling looked up, her vision partially clouded by sleep. Jet was sweating profusely. Pressing the back of her hand against his forehead, Astoria sighed heavily. His fever finally broke, but was still higher than it should be.

Pushing herself up from her crouched position by Jet’s bed, she groaned as her joints popped and stretched after hours of sitting virtually still. She grabbed the bucket half-filled with now warm water and left, sparing a short glance at Smellerbee laying by the tree trunk.

Longshot was sitting with his legs over the edge of the platform, his bow gripped loosely in one hand, his head tilted downward as he dozed off. “You don’t have to stay here,” Astoria spoke.

Longshot lifted his head slowly, eyeing the girl, answering her with silent words.

“Jet’s fever broke finally. I’m going to get some more water.”

Longshots calm demeanor broke momentarily as he jumped up and took the pail from her hand. His brows furrowed, his gaze narrowing warningly.

“I can do it, I’ll be careful!” Astoria argued. She was shut down when Longshot shook his head twice and walked off with the pail.

Astoria glared after him, feeling heat rise in her veins. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply and stomped back into the tent.

Smellerbee was awake, crouched in the same spot they’d been in since Jet got sick, one hand combing through his knotted hair. Jet groaned and tossed, curling up on his side.

“Why did you leave? What if something happened?” Smellerbee snapped, 

“His fever broke, I was going to get more water.” Smellerbee’s eyes trailed to Astoria’s empty hands at her sides. “Longshot took over,” she couldn’t hide the bite in her tone that said everything she left out.

Smellerbee nodded, returning her attention to Jet.

“It hurts,” Jet slurred, his words barely audible. His arms tightened around his middle, his knees drawing up to his chest.

“I know, it’ll be over soon,” Smellerbee whispered, rubbing his upper arm lightly.

Jet’s eyes opened into small slits, looking over his shoulder at Smellerbee at his side. His vision was clear than the last time he was conscious but she was still a blur of colors and shapes. “Bee?”

She smiled softly.

Jet shook his head, groaning again and turning away from her, squeezing his eyes shut.

Smellerbee frowned, hurt at hs rejection. But Astoria saw the unlying meaning, and knew Jet wouldn’t be cruel enough to tell Smellerbee to leave..

“Bee, go see what’s taking Longshot so long.”

“But…”

“Go.” At Astoria’s harsh tone, Smellerbee jumped up and fled the room.

Once she was gone, Astoria sat on the edge of Jet’s bed. “You okay?” she asked quietly, keeping her hands clasped together in her lap.

Jet shook his head, turning over to face her. “I’m sorry, Stori. I-I should’ve listened to you. I-I got what I deserved.”

Smiling victoriously, Astoria pushed back a stray piece of his hair. “I wouldn't go that far. But you should’ve listened.”

Jet scrunched his eyes shut, curling inward impossibly more.

Astoria rubbed his back, pressing the back of her knuckles against his forehead again. “You’re getting better, Jet. Your fever broke.”

Through slitted eyes, Jet stared up at her, furrowing his brows. “What did you mean?”

Astoria’s hands stopped moving. “What?”

“When we were in the forest, you said you’re sorry. What are you sorry for?”

Her response took too long. She avoided his eyes, thinking back to her cooperation with the Water Tribe boy against her brother. “I’s sorry that I didn’t find you sooner and that you got sick.”

“Oh, okay,” Jet answered, disbelieving. He let his head drop back down on the bed, closing his eyes.

 

Within the next day, Jet was back on his feet, any remnants of his illness completely washed away.

And Astoria was back to hiding in the treetops.

She watched from her perch, listening to the whispered conversations far below her.

Rumors circulated the hideout that Jet was planning to disband the Freedom Fighters. There was talk of  rebellion, fear of abandonment, plans of a coup.

Jet had barely made a ‘public’ appearance since getting better. Whenever he was seen mingling among the other Freedom Fighters, he barely said a word to anyone other than his closest and most trusted companions, namely Smellerbee and Longshot. He spent the majority of his time whispering with Smellerbee, keeping her away from her usual duties as second in command.

Three days after Jet first roused from his bed, Astoria finally found a moment when Smellerbee was alone. The younger girl was walking away from the hideout, probably on her way to meet Jet or routine lookout.

Astoria dropped down in front of her, crossing her arms over her chest. “What’s going on? And don’t you dare say nothing.”

Smellerbee’s hand was inching toward one of her knives, “What do you mean?”

Astoria’s eyes narrowed warningly but Smellerbee looked down. “Are the rumors true? Is Jet disbanding the Freedom Fighters?”

Smellerbee didn’t say anything but she didn’t need to.

“How could he do that? What about all of these kids? They have nowhere to go! They’re orphans! We all are! We’re all each other has left! He’s just going to turn his back on them?”

“He said the Waterbender and the Avatar really got through to him. He wants to start over, right his wrongs. It’s a good thing, Astoria.”

She shook her head, “No, it’s  _ abandonment _ . He’s leaving  _ dozens  _ of kids to die because  _ he  _ screwed up! Leaving is not going to erase what he’s done! It’ll only make it worse!If he really wants to start over, he can still start over here, with the community he’s built! Lead everyone here down a better path.””

Smellerbee dropped her hands to her sides, bowing her head to avoid the fiery gaze of the bender.

“You’re going with him, aren’t you? Longshot, too, I suppose?’” Smellerbee nodded weakly. “You’re just a bunch of cowards.”

Finally, Smellerbee looked up, eyes wide, “Come with us! Jet wouldn’t leave without you!”

“Then why hasn’t  _ he  _ told me about this?”

“Because he hasn’t decided  _ where  _ we’re going.” The answer was too quick, rehearsed.

“How ‘bout  _ when _ you’re going?”

Smellerbee’s mouth hung open emptily for a moment, before shutting guiltily.

Astoria turned back without a word, stomping away determinedly. “Astoria!” Smellerbee called after her, but having seen the gold swirling in her eyes, and the way the grass smoked in the wake of her bare footsteps, she knew better than to follow after her.

 

Years of hiding had taught Astoria well. She calmed her flame before she arrived at Jet’s room. The careful movements within told her he was there.

“Where?” she snapped before the flap had fully closed behind her, leaving her and her words clear for the Freedom Fighters outside.

Jet stilled for a moment and sighed, “Ba Sing Se.”

“ _ Am _ I invited? Or are you abandoning me, too?”

Jet turned to face her, his expression cold but his eyes filled with regret. “You betrayed me, Astoria.”

He never used her full name. It stung more than she’d like to admit.

“I almost died because you sided with the Avatar Gaang.”

“An  _ entire village  _ almost died because of your selfish pursuit for revenge!”

“Selfish?” Jet growled, stepping toward her so he towered over her, glaring down. “Is that what you think of me? Everyone here, everyone in the world, has suffered at the hand of the Fire Nation! They deserve to suffer, too!”

“Our village was burned down in front of us. You tried to wash one away! That makes you just as bad as the Firebenders who killed our family.”

Jet slammed her against the tree trunk, pinning her in place with his forearm pressed against her collarbone. “ _ You _ don’t get to judge  _ my  _ morals.  _ You  _ don’t get to cry about what happened to our parents! You can’t even remember it!  _ Your  _ people have killed thousands of us! A troop or two parrishing in a flood doesn’t come  _ close  _ to evening out the score!”

“ _ My  _ people? I was born to an  _ Earth Kingdom _ family, just like everyone else here! Just like you! I’m an  _ Earth  _ bender!”

“You are an  _ abomination _ ,” Jet growled through gritted teeth.

Astoria’s eyes narrowed, gold flaring up in her irises.

Jet jumped back, crying out as his sleeve was partially burned.

“You’re a monster, Jet,” she spat at him, storming out of the tent.


	5. Five

Freedom Fighter numbers drastically decreased within the following days, not that anyone cared. Smellerbee, Jet, and Longshot kept a constant eye out for Astoria, fear plaguing their every waking moment and the image of her gold eyes or her last words to Jet haunting their dreams.

Smellerbee approached her (former) leader with her head bowed, one hand scratching the back of her head anxiously. “Jet?”

Jet sat perched on the edge of the cliff; last time they were here, their plans had been ruined by the Water Tribe boy’s interference. Now Jet stared out at the still flooded village, guilt burning in his veins. “She’s right, Bee.” His head dropped, “I am a monster.”

Smellerbee dropped to her knees by his side, one hand hovering over his shoulder. “You were only doing what you thought you had to,” she offered as comfort. “Just like she was, and just like you are now.” She smiled, moving into his line of sight, “Give her time, Jet. She’ll come around.”

Jet shook his head. “No, she won’t. But I don’t care.”

He stood, straightening to his full height and setting his expression in a scowl. “Go make sure you and Longshot are ready.”

“Jet-” Se broke off when he looked at her sternly.

“We leave at sunset.” Turning to fully face her, he leaned over to meet her eyes, “And don’t say a word to my sister.”

 

Night had fallen not long ago. The remaining Freedom Fighters gathered around a disappointing looking supper, depressed looks on all of their faces and nerve-wracking silence hanging over them.

Astoria frowned, shaking her head and swinging away from them.

Jet was just leaving his room, a small, stolen bag slung over his shoulder. Smellerbee and Longshot were leaning against the tree trunk outside, waiting. Longshot was poised as ever, alert eyes scanning the view in front of them. Smellerbee’s head was down, her shoulders slumped.

The corner of Astoria’s lips twitched, threatening a satisfied smile knowing Smellerbee didn’t fully agree with Jet’s plan. But she wouldn’t let herself smile at a time like this.

Jet nodded at the other two, who each grabbed onto a vine and slid down to the ground. Jet paused, one hand reached toward another vine. His eyebrows furrowed, frowning. He looked up abruptly, easily finding Astoria watching him.

She glared down at him, twisting her lips into a sneer. Jet tried to match her cold expression but shame made it difficult. So instead, e slid down the vine and sulked after the others.

 

Astoria watched over the scarce remaining Freedom Fighters as they displayed their meger finds for food to each other. As far as she knew, they had no idea Jet and the others had actually left, but they would figure it out soon.

She dropped down to their level, making them jump as she landed in the middle of the small circle they’d formed.

All that was left were a few kids, most of them barely 12. Heart lurching in her cehst, she realized that most of them, the youngest, had only been recruited within the last two years, if that. From what she’d gathered from scattered conversations, they had lost everything they’d ever known only weeks before Jet or one of the others found them. And now they had lost the only sense of stability they’d known since then.

“Hey,” she greeted, waving her hand welcomingly, smiling as warmly as she could manage with the weight of the news she was about to deliver weighing in her chest. 

“Wh-Who are you?” one of them asked. A girl, not much younger than Smellerbee, ho shielded the others from the new person.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to just say it, “Jet and the others are all gone. They left yesterday. I-I’m sorry.”

Their faces fell but there was a knowing look in their eyes. 

“You are welcome to stay here. You’ll be safe from the Fire Nation. You can look out for each other and not have to worry about following anyone’s orders.”

“Are you a Freedom Fighter?” One of the younger ones asked, stepping forward.

Astoria put her head down, ashamed of the life she’d previously lead. “I was.”

“Are you going to stay?” Big, sparkling brown eyes stared up at her hopefully.

She shook her head sorrowfully, “No, I’m sorry.”

“C-Can we come with you?”

Again, she shook her head, refusing to meet their eyes. “It’s safer for you here. I promise, as long as you’re careful, you will never have to worry about anything if you stay here.” She bent down, putting a hand on the little one’s shoulder, “Good luck, soldier.”


	6. Six

A decade of hiding had taught Jet and Astoria well. A decade of hiding  _ together  _ made easy for one to track the other.

Astoria kept a safe distance between her and the others, leaving almost an hour after they did after nightfall.

_ “No one will see us if we travel at night,”  _ Jet had told her one night a lifetime ago. His grip on her trembling hand had been bone breaking and comforting.

The darkness of night had terrified her as a child, making her feel vulnerable and naked to whatever or whoever could be lurking where she couldn’t see. Now she understood that fear and weak feeling was because Fire Benders were weaker at night.

Jet and the others were always deathly silent, each standing ready with their weapons out and poised. Longshot lead the way, an arrow constantly notched in his bow. Smellerbee brought up the rear, her head flicking in every direction frantically. Jet was calm and collected, standing tall and straight, focusing on what was in front of them.

When they entered the desert, Astoria fell back, leaving almost a full days distance between them.

 

Longshot approached Smellerbee to change watchshifts, furrowing his eyebrows when he saw the distraught look on the young girl’s face.

“We shouldn’t have left her, Longshot,” Smellerbee whispered, arms wrapped around her knees. Sitting beside her, Longshot nodded, urging her to go on. “I mean, I know she can take care of herself … defense-wise, but…”

Longshot looked away, shamefully at the ground, agreeing with her.

“And what if she finds us? I-I can’t face her… And you know what she’s capable off. She’s going to be so angry with us.”

“By now she already knows we’re gone,” Jet’s brash voice made them both jump. He glared up at the midday sun, arms crossed over his chest. “If she wanted to find us, she would have by now. She doesn’t care.”

“Jet,”

“I know what she is capable of better than anyone, including her. She could have killed us easily by now. But she is nowhere to be found. I guarantee that she wouldn’t be at the Hideout if we went back for her. She moved on. We should, too.”

“She was your sister, Jet,” Smellerbee whispered disappointedly.

“Yeah. She was.”

Smellerbee forced herself to her feet, kneeling beside Jet, brown eyes drilling holes in him. “She stuck by your side through everything-”

“She chose the Water Tribe boy over me. I wouldn’t exactly call that sticking by me.”

“Ten years of following you through every crazy plan you’ve had, ten years of backing every move you made, watching over all of us and saving our asses more times than I can count without even being seen, and you give up on her after the one time she doesn’t side with you?”

Jet sat up, eyes narrowed warningly, “She ruined everything!”

“No, Jet. She  _ saved  _ everyone. Including you, from yourself.  _ She  _ made the right choice. A choice that, looking back now, I wish I had been strong enough to make.”

“If you’re so against me too, why did you come?”

“I’m not against you, Jet. You are my leader, I trust you more than I trust anyone else. I support you and have supported every decision you have made, including flooding the village, because I believed that you were right. But no one is always right, not even you. Making mistakes is part of life. I am proud of you for choosing to change and start a new life, but I am not proud of your other recent decisions. And that is okay, because I know that you will make them right when the time comes.”

Jet stared at her for a while, one eyebrow raised, mulling over her words. “Astoria chose her side.”


	7. Seven

Astoria pulled irritatedly at the suffocating collar of the shirt she’d acquired. Jet and the others were huddle among a particularly large group of refugees, easily sneaking onto the ship.

Astoria followed suit, raising an eyebrow at a pair of familiar faces among the crowd she fell into. But not before finding another group of old encounters walking through the doors.

The ferry was smaller than she thought, barely big enough to fit the throngs of passengers somewhat comfortably. Everyone was still far too condensed for Astoria. Her new attire was way too heavy and stuffy. How everyone else managed to live like this every day was beyond her.

Losing sight of Jet, Astoria turned her attention to the familiar faces from the crowd. One was around Jet’s age, the other an old man. The boy’s left eye and most of the left side of his face was burned. Silently, she prayed they wouldn’t run into Jet.

She followed them to the side, waving off a shrill sounding lady that offered her a bowl of sludge.

“Who would have thought, after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace...as a tourist!” Astoria chuckled at the old general’s glee.

The boy sneered, staring grimly at the water, “Look around, we're not tourists, we're refugees.” He sipped from his bowl of sludge, almost gagging at the acidic taste, “Ugh!” Spitting over the rail, he pouted, “I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt... I'm tired of living like this.”

“Aren’t we all?”

Astoria shuffled back a bit, maybe a little too close to the refugee family behind her, but a tall man stepped in front of her, hopefully blocking her from Jet’s view.

Leaning on the railing, her head down, she strained to hear their conversation over the many others going on.

“Here's the deal. I hear the Captain's eating like a king, while us refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?” The calm demeanor of Jet’s words sent a chill up her spine.

“What sort of _king_ is he eating like?

“The fat, happy kind. You want to help us _liberate_ some food?”

After a long moment, causing Astoria to look back at them, the boy answered, “I’m in.”

 

Astoria shook her head as Smellerbee stormed away after telling the old man off, flanked by Longshot not even a moment later. Spinning on her heels, she turned away from their sight.

“I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of,” Astoria rolled her eyes at her brother’s words, shaking her head, “but that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se: for a new beginning. A second chance.”

“That's very noble of you,” the old man, Iroh, she remembered from a wanted poster, answered humbly. “I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances.”

Neither Astoria nor Jet missed the look shared between the banished prince and his uncle.

But Jet didn’t say anything.

The prince cleared his throat, standing quickly. “I need some air,” he excused himself, walking away with his uncle and Jet watching him passively.

“My nephew isn’t used to the waters yet,” Iroh offered in defense of his nephew.

Astoria stood, walking along the roof covering the refugees, following Zuko through the shadows.

Zuko’s hands were braced on the ship’s railing, his knuckles white and jaw clenched.

“I know what you are,” a bone-chilling voice whispered in Zuko’s ear, unnaturally yet familiar warm breath brushing across his skin, sending a shiver down his spine.

Spinning around, he came face to face with a girl not much shorter than himself, She had strange colored eyes, green with swirls of gold mixed in, that watched him carefully, a somehow familiar smirk playing on her lips. Her hair was long and thick, dark brown locks cascading over her bare shoulders. Her clothes, a skirt and shirt ending just above her stomach were handmade out of animal skins and rags torn off old clothes she’d probably grown out of over the years. Her arms were crossed over her chest, she stood unbalanced, leaning more on her left leg, the reliance on one more than the other probably resulting from a childhood injury. Scars littered her arms had stomach, some white and fading and some pink and healing.

“What?’ Zuko questioned, fighting to keep his voice steady.

“I know _what_ and _who_ you are,” she repeated.

“I-I’’m just a refugee,” he stuttered, his eyes looking everywhere but at her.

“And I’m a flying bison. I’m not stupid like most of these refugees. You’re Zuko, the fallen prince of the Fire Nation. Banished for speaking out of turn at a war meeting, punished and _burned_ by your own father.”

Zuko’s eyes narrowed. Without thinking, he wrapped one hand around her throat, the other being encircled with flame.

The girl seemed pleased, her eyes trailing to watch the flame in his left hand.

Horrified and confused, Zuko watched the gold in her eyes take over the green. Before he could do anything, his flame died out against his will.

“You probably don’t want to do that so publicly. Someone might catch on,” she teased.

Zuko tightened his grip on her throat, feeling her pulse beat against his fingers. “How did you find out?”

She struggled to speak around the pressure on her throat but there was still no fear in her eyes. “I get around a lot. I love listening in on people’s conversations. While my brother would fight Fire Nation soldiers, I’d listen and watch over them.” Zuko loosened his grip when she took an abrupt gulp of air and swallowed harshly. “I heard lots of stories about you. There seemed to be some confusion over how you got that scar, though. But most people agreed your father did it so I assume that’s the _real_ story?”

Against his will, he nodded. She smirked, relaxing against the wall. He let her go, taking a dizzied step back. “A-Are you a … firebender?”

She swayed her head in a confusing motion. “Sort of. We’re not really sure what I am.” She looked down momentarily, muttering, “Other than a mistake.”

Zuko’s eyes softened empathetically. “What’s your name?”

She looked back up and Zuko saw that her eyes had returned to the green-with-gold-specks color. “Astoria. You and your uncle just met my brother, Jet and his friends.”

Zuko started to say something but Astoria cut him off, “He doesn’t know yet. And you better hope he doesn’t figure it out.” She didn’t say anything else but she didn’t need to.

“You’re not going to…”

She shook her head, “He can figure it out for himself. I don’t have a problem with it so I see no reason to tell him. If you’re smart, you’ll be careful and you won’t get on _either_ of our bad sides.”

“I’ll try my best,” Zuko muttered through gritted teeth.

Astoria smiled genuinely, deviously, “Good.” She patted his upper arm, “I think we will become great friends soon.”

Zuko’s forehead creased in suspicion.

“Oh, one more thing. Jet can’t know I’m here.”

“Why?” Zuko snapped.

“That’s none of your business. Just don’t tell him. If you do, I’ll have to cut your tongue out for it.”

 

Returning to his uncle and Jet, Zuko nearly tripped over discarded garments or other passengers more than once, he was too busy looking for Astoria. She had disappeared quicker than he could fathom, seeming to vanish into thin air.

Taking his seat next to Iroh, he looked Jet over. His wardrobe, although made entirely from rags was undeniably Earth Kingdom, as was the attire of his companions. And until he snuffed out his flame with a flick of her eye, Astoria seemed completely Earth too.

Three years spent at sea searching for the Avatar had brought Iroh and Zuko closer than the latter would like to admit. A single look at Zuko told Iroh that something was wrong, puzzling his nephew terribly.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Jet excused himself, confused that his friends hadn't returned yet.

He stood, smirking victoriously at the pair belo him before strolling off after the younger Fighters.

“What is wrong, nephew?” Iroh asked once the other boy was out of earshot.

Zuko looked around again, feeling the green-gold eyes on him but not spotting them in the shrinking crowd. “I just met Jet’s sister,” he whispered, glancing at Iroh.

“Oh,” Iroh answered in confusion.

“Her name’s Astoria. She’s a firebender.”

Iroh’s eyebrows raised, “But Jet seems like he’s from the Earth Kingdom?”

“So does she. But-” he paused, sighing heavily. “She knew who I was. I tried threatening her with firebending but she killed my flame before I could do anything. And all she did was look at it. Her eyes…”

He stopped when a familiar smirk flashed through the dim light of the deck.

“There!” he nearly shouted, pointing toward her. “There she is!”

But she was gone once again within the second it took Iroh to follow Zuko’s direction. “I do not see anyone, nephew.” _Maybe the sea really_ is _getting to him_ , Iroh thought worriedly.

“No, I swear- Uncle, you have to believe me!”

“Okay, okay,” Iroh put a gentle hand on Zuko’s shoulder, “I do, I do. C’mon, let’s go somewhere more private.”

Zuko allowed himself to pulled to his feet and out of the makeshift dining area back to the rails of the ship.

Gripping the railing tight, Zuko shook his head in frustration, unable to find appropriate words to describe the new girl. “There’s something different about her, Uncle. I-I  don’t know what but she’s not like anyone else, firebender or Earth Kingdom.”

With a gentle, reassuring hand on the small of Zuko’s back Iroh looked toward the horizon, “There are many mysteries this world holds,” he offered.

“Her eyes…” Zuko began again. “They were … I-I don’t know.” Not for eht first time, Zuko found himself wishing he had inherited his uncle’s masterful way with words.

“Very flattering, Prince Zuko,” the same chilling voice laughed from the darkness.

Their heads snapped up together, locking on the intruder with wide surprise.

“Didn’t mean to scare you,” Astoria lied, smiling as she stepped into full view. “It’s just not every day a prince and a general talk about you secretively.”

Iroh smiled warmly, bowing respectfully in greeting. To both their surprise, Astoria bowed in return, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, General Iroh.”

“Likewise,” Iroh responded. “Well, I see why you have my nephew so tongue tied.” When Astoria stiffened defensively, Zuko had to fight every nerve in his body that wanted to roast the girl alive. “You are very beautiful, dear.”

Astoria relaxed, seeming genuinely perplexed by the compliment. The brief moment of shock didn’t go unnoticed by either firebender, though Astoria was quick to recover. “Thank you.”

Iroh stepped closer, eyeing the girl curiously,one eyebrow raised, one hand rubbing his bearded chin. “Is it true?” he asked bluntly. He didn’t need to clarify what he meant.

Astoria held out a hand, palm facing the sky. They watched in awe as a bright, strong flame grew in her hand, shadowing her face grimly.

Iroh smiled, “Well, I suppose it’s true what they say about assuming.”

Astoria put a hand on her hip, killing the flame. “No, you were right the first time. My brother and I are from the Earth Kingdom.”

Fear flashed over their faces. Zuko looked toward his uncle hopefully but went unnoticed.

“But t-that… H-How… I-I’ve never even heard of-”

“Our parents never got a chance to explain it. They were killed when I was four. By then I was only bending Earth. My firebending didn’t make itself known until I was nearly 10. Since then, I’ve been hiding from both sides of the war.”

Iroh closed his jaw, clearing his throat and trying his best to compose himself. “I’m sorry but I don’t see how going to Ba Sing Se will help you hide.”

“I don’t see how it would help _you_.”

Iroh smiled, “Fair.”

“I’m only going to keep an eye on my brother.”

Iroh and Zuko didn’t miss how she never said his name, never confirming what they had the right boy in mind. But her smirk was nearly identical to Jet’s, as was her confident, leader-like stance and aura.. There was no chance it could be one of the others.

“He does seem a bit...lost.”

“More than a bit,” the bite in her words could’ve cut. Her brilliant and strange eyes trailed to meet Zuko’s. “He is going to ask you to join his new legion of Freedom Fighters.” Zuko started to reply but she stopped him with a lazy wave of her hand. “Under no circumstance are you to say yes. When he finds out who you two are, and no matter how careful you think you are, he will, he will turn against you. My brother hates the Fire Nation more than anyone.”

She stepped toward Zuko, until they were barely an inch apart. “No matter what, are you to say yes. As soon as you get into the city, put as much distance between you and him as possible.”

Iroh held up a finger. Astoria flicked her eyes toward him. “How can you be so sure he will find out? We have been hiding among many Earth Kingdom citizens for a while now and none seem to have caught on?”

“Maybe they just think it’s safer not to provoke you. Generations of living in fear will do that to you.” The sting of her words cut to their hearts. “My brother is not like that. He will attack you. If he dies, you must not fight back. Let him tire himself out, keep him moving, chasing you.” Her stare was trained on Zuko’s gold eyes, the gold in her own swirling warningly.

“Thank you for your advice. And thank you for keeping our secret,” Iroh spoke from behind her.

She stepped back, letting Zuko breathe freely. “Thank you,” he echoed his uncle’s words, sounding genuine enough to satisfy Astoria.

“I’ll be in touch,” she promised. She flashed them another smile, warmer and kinder, as she walked back into the shadows.

Iroh stared after her, rubbing his beard again in thought. “A duo-bender.”

“Have you ever heard of one?”

Iroh nodded sorrowfully. “They were deemed abominations over a hundred years ago. They were hunted down and imprisoned. We thought there weren’t any left.”

Zuko stared after her, flushed cheeks betraying the suspicious, narrow eyed look.

Iroh smiled up at his nephew, “She sure is unique, isn’t she, Prince Zuko?”

Zuko nodded slowly, tearing his eyes away from Astoria’s ghost. “She is.”


End file.
